Sound Transit Link Light Rail
Hi Friends,
Hope you're doing well. The Sound Transit Link Light Rail is the main light rail rapid transit system for the Seattle area. I use it regularly and awesomely, as a thirteen-year-old, I can use it for free! Look, I get that most of you probably drive. That’s fine. I probably will too once I’m 16 and get my license. Then again, this is electric, eco-friendly, connects many places, and I can be independent with it right now! It's also a lot more cost-effective than renting a car or taking a taxi if you're visiting!
Link connects downtown with Federal Way, Lynnwood, SeaTac Airport, Bellevue and Redmond, and is one of the easiest ways to both avoid traffic for people with cars and get around for tourists. Fares are $3 for adults, free for youth 18 or under and reduced fares are available for eligible riders. There is a 1 Line and a 2 Line, and a T Line that is a streetcar that runs through all of Tacoma. The 1 Line runs from Lynnwood to Federal Way, from north to south, and the 2 Line from Lynnwood to Redmond. Here are some notable stops in between.
Lynnwood City Center (1 and 2 Line)
This station is the northern end of the 1 Line. It is convenient because 14 Community Transit bus routes stop there, as well as Sound Transit Express buses and the Swift Orange line bus. It is also adjacent to the 31-mile-long Interurban Trail, which is great to bike, walk, or run. Lynnwood has literally everything you could want: a great spot for shopping, dining, you name it. It's also where my brother's basketball team is cooking and fingers crossed 8 days away from their first championship!
Northgate (1 and 2 Line)
Northgate was already North Seattle’s biggest bus hub before Link arrived. The station was built directly into the transit center, with bus bays immediately adjacent to the rail platforms, so transfers are easy. It connects to Northgate Station mall with some shopping, dining and even the Seattle Kraken facility, King County Metro buses to Ballard, Green Lake, Shoreline, Lake City, etc. Not going to lie, I sometimes go there to grab some Chipotle and read at Barnes & Noble.
University of Washington (1 and 2 Line)
The underground station is at the campus’s southeastern gateway, where Montlake Boulevard, NE Pacific Street, Husky Stadium, and the medical center meet. Whether you’re going for a volleyball game, to catch a concert, or to go to one of the epic libraries (Suzzallo library is epic, it's literally Hogwarts, trust it'll blow your mind) on campus, this is your stop! A dedicated pedestrian-and-bicycle bridge connects the station across Montlake Boulevard and Pacific Place directly into campus, with ramps and stairs leading to the station plaza. It also links to the 20-mile-long Burke-Gilman Trail, which like the Interurban, is great for a bike, walk, or run.
Westlake (1 and 2 Line)
Westlake Station is the busiest and most central downtown Link station, located beneath Pine Street between 3rd and 6th Avenues, directly under Westlake Center and Westlake Park. It is served by both the 1 Line and 2 Line. It sits at the heart of downtown Seattle’s retail, office, and visitor district—near Pike Place Market, the downtown shopping core, major hotels, and tons of office buildings. That makes it useful not just for commuters but also for tourists, shoppers, and people going to events.
It’s also directly connected to Pacific Place mall. I would recommend Din Tai Fung if you want a meal (reserve early), the OG Nordstrom for great clothes and shoes, and Simply Seattle for cool unique Seattle merch! Westlake has major buses, the Seattle Center Monorail connecting to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and Climate Pledge Arena (Go Storm!), and the South Lake Union Streetcar providing a link toward South Lake Union.
Symphony (1 and 2 Line)
Symphony Station is an underground downtown Link station beneath 3rd Avenue between Union and Seneca Streets, right next to Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony. It was formerly called University Street Station but was renamed in 2024 to avoid confusion with UW and U District stations. Symphony is placed in the middle of downtown’s cultural, office, and waterfront district.
It is directly adjacent to Benaroya Hall, where I've performed and attended many shows. The Seattle Symphony is amazing, be sure to check them out! The Symphony stop is also a short walk from Pike Place Market, the renovated waterfront, the Seattle Art Museum, and major downtown hotels and its location also puts it beside 3rd Avenue, Seattle’s busiest downtown bus corridor. That makes it easy to transfer between Link and buses without walking far. It’s also near the waterfront and the Seattle Aquarium.
Pioneer Square (1 and 2 Line)
Pioneer Square Station is an underground Link station beneath 3rd Avenue between Cherry Street and Yesler Way, with entrances at James Street and Yesler Way. It is served by both the 1 Line and 2 Line and is the closest downtown Link station to Seattle’s ferry terminals. It sits in the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, at the southern edge of downtown and near the waterfront. That makes it a good station for people going to ferries, Colman Dock, the stadiums, Pioneer Square businesses, and parts of downtown south of Pike Place. It is near Washington State Ferries with ferries to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, Kitsap Fast Ferries and the King County Water Taxi to West Seattle. I enjoy ferries and will probably write a blog about them one of these days!
International District/Chinatown (1 and 2 Line)
This station is the last that serves both the 1 and 2 Line. It is Seattle’s biggest Link transfer hub, located at 5th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in the Chinatown–International District. It is also used for many from North Seattle and downtown to get to Lumen Field! Go Hawks!
This station brings together:
Link light rail: The 1 Line continues south toward SeaTac Airport and Federal Way, while the 2 Line heads east to Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond.
Amtrak and Sounder: King Street Station, just west of the station, serves Amtrak long-distance and Cascades trains plus Sounder commuter rail.
First Hill Streetcar: Its nearby stops connect the neighborhood to First Hill and Capitol Hill.
Buses: Multiple stops around 5th Avenue, Jackson Street, and Weller Street serve King County Metro, Sound Transit Express, and Community Transit.
Future Link service: The planned West Seattle–Ballard extension is intended to create another major rail connection in this area, strengthening its role as a regional hub.
Stadium (1 Line)
Stadium Station is a ground-level Link light-rail stop in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood, just east of Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park (Go Ms!). Its address is 501 South Royal Brougham Way, at the intersection of Royal Brougham Way and the SoDo Busway.
The station sits beneath the nearby I-90 ramps, between International District/Chinatown Station to the north and SoDo Station to the south.
Unlike the underground downtown stations, it has an outdoor, ground-level platform. Royal Brougham Way runs west from the station toward the stadiums, with Lumen Field on its north side and T-Mobile Park on its south side. The Mariners describe Stadium Station as about two blocks from the ballpark. Definitely go catch a game at some point, they are very cool! Oh, and if you're looking for a bite, hit Paseo for some incredible Cuban sandwiches!
Columbia City (1 Line)
Columbia City Station is a ground-level stop on Link’s 1 Line in Seattle’s Rainier Valley. It serves a residential neighborhood rather than a major downtown transfer hub, with Columbia City’s historic shopping and restaurant district a short walk east. The station is at 4818 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, in the middle of MLK Jr. Way between South Alaska Street and South Edmunds Street. It has two side platforms, one for each direction, and sits between Mount Baker Station to the north and Othello Station to the south. To reach Columbia City’s historic business district on Rainier Avenue South, walk east along South Edmunds Street. There are easy bus transfers from there too.
Sea-Tac Airport (1 Line)
SeaTac/Airport Station is the elevated Link 1 Line stop serving Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. It connects to the terminal through the airport parking garage, so passengers can get between the train and airport without taking a shuttle bus. The station sits at International Boulevard and South 176th Street, northeast of the main terminal and next to the airport parking garage. It is between Tukwila International Boulevard Station to the north and Angle Lake Station to the south. A pedestrian bridge connects the station to the garage’s fourth floor. From there, a covered, level walkway leads to the terminal skybridges. A separate pedestrian connection provides access to International Boulevard, nearby hotels, bus stops, and a passenger drop-off area.
If you’re a tourist, this is the station you will very likely begin your trip to Seattle at. From the train, follow signs toward the airport, cross into the parking garage, and follow the marked walkway to Skybridge 6. Coming from baggage claim, the reverse route starts near carousel 16: go up to the skybridge level, cross Skybridge 6, then turn left toward Link. Note the Link doesn’t have luggage racks, but you can keep your bags on your lap or under your seat, and there are multi-use storage areas by the doors for bigger bags.
Federal Way (1 Line)
Federal Way Downtown Station is the southern end of Link’s 1 Line and a major rail-and-bus hub for Federal Way. The elevated station is at 31911 23rd Avenue South, just north of South 320th Street, beside the Federal Way transit center. It is west of I-5 and east of Pacific Highway South/SR 99, near The Commons at Federal Way shopping mall. Nearby destinations include Town Square Park and the Performing Arts and Event Center. Link meets King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Sound Transit Express buses here, allowing riders from surrounding neighborhoods and cities to connect to rail.
Judkins Park (2 Line)
Debuting with the Crosslake Connection, Judkins Park station opened for service on March 28th, 2026. The station sits in the center of I-90, between Rainier Avenue South and 23rd Avenue South. It has entrances at both streets:
Rainier Avenue entrance: You go up to reach the station, then cross the tracks at a designated crossing to reach the central platform
23rd Avenue entrance: Near Jimi Hendrix Park, you go down to the platform using stairs or elevators, without crossing the tracks.
Its neighboring stations are International District/Chinatown toward downtown and Mercer Island toward the Eastside.
Mercer Island (2 Line)
Mercer Island Station is a Link 2 Line stop on the north end of Mercer Island, just north of its Town Center. It gives island residents direct train access to Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond. The station sits in the middle of I-90, between 77th Avenue Southeast and 80th Avenue Southeast. Its listed address is 2510 77th Avenue SE, with entrances at both avenues leading down to the platforms. The Town Center is immediately south, while the Mercer Island Park-and-Ride and bus stops on North Mercer Way are to the north. The neighboring rail stations are Judkins Park toward Seattle and South Bellevue toward Bellevue and Redmond.
Bellevue Downtown (2 Line)
The Link stop beside Bellevue Transit Center is called Bellevue Downtown Station. Together, the rail station and bus transit center form a major downtown Bellevue transit hub—useful both for reaching downtown destinations and transferring to buses across the Eastside. The two facilities sit next to each other along Northeast 6th Street:
Bellevue Transit Center’s bus platforms are between 108th and 110th Avenues Northeast.
Bellevue Downtown Station is immediately east, between 110th and 112th Avenues Northeast, beside Bellevue City Hall. Its entrances are at those two avenues; its listed address is 594 110th Avenue NE.
The rail station serves the 2 Line, between East Main and Wilburton stations. Riders can transfer between Link and buses serving places such as Kirkland, Renton, Eastgate, and Crossroads rather than needing a separate trip to reach the railway. The RapidRide B Line also starts here and runs toward Crossroads, Overlake, and downtown Redmond. There’s tons of good quick Indian and Chinese food over there, and so many fun chess clubs and events too. The Bellevue Downtown stop also gets you to Bellevue City Hall, the Meydenbauer Center, downtown offices, and hotels.
Downtown Redmond (2 Line)
Downtown Redmond Station is the eastern endpoint of Link’s 2 Line, serving Redmond’s downtown shops, apartments, and businesses. Its biggest advantage is that it brings rail directly into a walkable town center rather than placing the station beside a freeway. The elevated station is at 16620 NE 76th Street, immediately north of Redmond Town Center, along the Redmond Central Connector trail near 164th and 166th Avenues Northeast. NE 76th Street is also labeled Railroad Avenue on some maps. It has entrances on either side of 166th Avenue, with stairs and elevators connecting to a single central platform. Bus stops are nearby on NE 76th Street and Cleveland Street. I’ve played tons of tournaments at the Redmond Marriott, and I’d recommend you check out Marymoor Games, Brick & Mortar Books, Dong Ting Chun, ShareTea, and Thai Ginger.
I could talk about transportation for days. I love maps and I love travel. I also love motor vehicles of all kinds. That said, I’ll stop here for today. Hope this was helpful and maybe you might consider taking the Link Light Rail next time you’re in our hood.
That’s all for today! See y’all next time! Sarang out.
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